This invention relates generally to photography, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for preventing black reflections on photographs when photographing highly reflective items.
In the past, taking photographs of highly reflective items, such as pieces of jewelry, has required much time and effort to take pictures free of black reflections. Highly reflective items cause black spots and shadows on pictures, as these items reflect into the camera lens the light used and needed for proper exposure. This exposure light reflection does not allow one to see the detail or highlights of diamond rings and other jewelry in finished photographs. Also, the reflection of exposure light off a watch crystal would not allow one to clearly see the details of a watch face. Therefore, makers of jewelry, jewelers, jewelry retailers, department stores, and anyone who uses photographs of jewelry or highly reflective items in their advertising brochures or elsewhere, all have a great need to take photographs of jewelry free from these reflections.
In the past, conventional cameras have been used to take photographs of these highly reflective items. The use of conventional cameras, however, requires much trial and error in the positioning of umbrellas and the positioning of lighting before a photograph can be taken that is relatively free of these reflections. This trial and error is very time consuming.
This invention utilizes copy cameras. In the past, copy cameras were seldom used in the photography of highly reflective items. This was due to the fact that copy cameras are primarily used for the reduction, enlargement or reproduction of two dimensional objects. Copy cameras are seldom used for photographing three dimensional objects. This non-use was also due to the fact that some copy cameras do not have a three dimensional focus adjustment mechanism on the camera, or the requisite lighting. If this lighting were added, this process would still be very time consuming because the lighting would constantly have to be repositioned until a photograph was found to be free of reflections.
It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus and method which avoids the foregoing problems of the prior art.